


The First Christmas

by silly_mortal



Category: Life Goes On (TV)
Genre: Christmas, F/M, First Christmas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:26:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28831161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silly_mortal/pseuds/silly_mortal
Summary: Libby and Jerry celebrate their first Christmas, since announcing their engagement, with Libby's family.
Relationships: Libby Thacher/Drew Thacher, Libby Thacher/Jerry Berkson
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My Jibby Timeline:
> 
> The Conference  
> A Series of Questions  
> The Baby  
> The Sitter  
> The Trip  
> The Weekend  
> The Announcement  
> The First Christmas  
> The Conversation  
> The Memories  
> Halloween With The Berksons  
> The Patient  
> 

Christmas Eve 

\- 

“Merry Christmas!”

The front door swung open and Libby, who was admiring the Christmas tree in the living room, turned to see her parents entering the foyer.

“Merry Christmas, Ma, Pop!” she happily exclaimed, as she rushed toward them. 

Libby greeted each of her parents with a hug and a kiss, as they entered her home. She helped them out of their hats and coats and left the room, momentarily, to hang them up.

“Where are my grandchildren?” Sal Giordano asked, as he walked into the living room.

“Becca is out, trying to do some last minute shopping and Corky and Amanda are upstairs, in their apartment,” she answered, when she returned. “Amanda’s parents went to Hawaii for Christmas, so they’ll be with us this year.”

Sal spied his youngest grandson, 18-month-old Nicky, sitting on the ground, in front of the tree and grinned.

“And I see where this one is!”

He swept Nicky into his arms and hoisted him high into the air. The little boy laughed and hugged his grandfather, while his mother and grandmother looked on, smiling.

“Hi!” Nicky exclaimed.

“’Hi’ is his new favorite thing to say,” Libby explained, to her parents. “He says it all the time.”

“Hi, Nicky,” her father replied. “Are you all ready for Santa to come tonight and bring you lots of presents?”

Nicky nodded and giggled.

“That’s a nice Christmas sweater you have on,” Sal smiled. “Do you think they make those in Grandpa’s size? Then we can be twins.”

“Oh, they do, Pop!” Libby said, brightly. “Jerry actually bought one for all of us, including you and Ma. He wants us all to take a picture later... wearing them.”

“And what about Paige?” Teresa asked, in a hushed voice.

Libby shook her head and held up her hand, indicating that she didn’t want to talk about it.

“You got new Christmas decorations,” her mother commented quickly, trying to change the subject. “They’re nice!”

The three adults looked around the room, which was decorated in bright, festive decorations, thr quality of which were greatly improved from the holiday decorations that normally filled the Thacher residence.

“Drew took a lot of the old ones, so Jerry and I went shopping and got some new ones to mix in with the ones that were left behind… mainly the ones the kids made when they were little.”

“He didn’t want the ones the children made?” Teresa asked.

“No, but I’m glad because I wanted them,” Libby replied, with a nonchalant shrug.

“Is that a menorah?” 

Libby turned to look at the sideboard, where the antique candelabrum sat.

“Yes, it was Jerry’s mother’s. He’s Jewish, so we celebrated Hanukkah, as well, this year.”

“We’re _Catholic_ , Libby…” her father said, holding his grandson up to the Christmas tree. “Don’t you think changing religions is confusing for Nicky?” 

“Nicky is a year-and-a-half, Pop. He has no idea what religion is. And I’m not changing religions… Jerry and I are getting married and we want to _share_ traditions… and we want the kids to share them, as well.”

“And how does Drew feel about you raising his son in a different faith, huh?”

“Pop,” she sighed. “Drew isn’t even the slightest bit religious. He only converted because you wanted us to get married in the Church.”

“He should have a say, though. He’s still Nicky’s father.”

Libby and her mother exchanged a quick look.

“Drew hasn’t seen or even asked about Nicky since October. I sincerely doubt he cares about the way he’s being raised… Jerry is more of a father to Nicky than Drew ever has been.”

Sal glanced at his wife, who shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, indicating he should drop it.

After a moment, he walked over and kissed his daughter on the cheek. 

“I just don’t want you to feel like you have to be with someone else right away, because you’re worried about having to do everything on your own. No matter what Drew did, he’s not going to let the kids starve… and _we’ll_ help you, cara,” he murmured, stroking the place he had just kissed.

“Pop-”

“I just want my daughter to be _happy_.” 

Libby smiled at him and took his hand.

“Your daughter is the happiest woman in the world right now, Pop. I _love_ Jerry… He makes me _so_ happy and I will be even happier when he is my husband. There is nothing in the world that will make me happier than that.”

“But it hasn’t been that long-”

“It’s been _years_ , Pop. Trust me.”

“Working together isn’t the same as living together, Elizabeth... It’s a different kind of relationship.”

“I know that. Jerry and I are each other’s closest friend and we have been for almost the entire time we’ve known each other. We know each other through and through. We know exactly what we’re doing by getting married… Give him a chance, Papa. I promise you’ll like him, once you get to know him.”

Sal sighed and reached over, to envelop his daughter with his one free arm.

“And where is this husband-to-be of yours?” he asked.

“He ran out to get some more eggs. I knocked an entire dozen off the counter this morning and we’ll need them for breakfast tomorrow... He should be back any minute.”

“Good, because I want to talk to him.”

“Pop-” Libby started.

“Nicky smells like he needs a diaper change,” Sal interrupted. “So, it’s a good time for me to leave you two and get the bags and the presents out of the car.”

“Wait until Jerry gets back, Pop... He’ll help you.”

“No, no – I can managed. I’ll be right back.”

He handed the baby over to his wife and headed out the front door of the house.

“Let me have him, Ma,” Libby reached out her arms, to her son. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Oh no, I want to do it,” Teresa insisted.

“You’re a guest. You don’t have to change diapers anymore – you’ve raised your babies.”

“And I never get to see him so _I’m_ going to do it… Where are his fresh diapers?”

“In the den,” Libby sighed.

Teresa took her grandson into the next room and laid him on the couch, while Libby fetched her mother the diaper bag and unpacked it for her. The two of them chatted, as Teresa proceeded to change the baby’s diaper.

“Libs?” Jerry’s voice rang out.

“I’m in here, honey!”

Libby walked into the foyer, just as Jerry headed down the short hall, from the kitchen.

“How was the store?” she asked.

“A madhouse. Everyone was there, trying to get their last minute things.”

“Did you get the eggs?”

“Yeah. And guess what else I got...”

He produced a piece of greenery from behind his back and smiled. 

“I thought we could hang it up somewhere… Maybe in the doorway?” he asked, looking around.

“Um, not so fast, Mister…”

Jerry looked at her questioningly.

“You’re not going to show me mistletoe and not even _try_ to kiss me, are you?” she teased.

“Where are your parents?” he asked, nervously. “I saw the car when I pulled in the driveway.”

“It’s just you and me right here.”

A wide grin crossed Jerry’s face, as he held the sprig over her head. Libby immediately slid her arms around his neck and kissed him, tenderly, as Jerry’s free arm snaked around her waist. When he deepened the kiss, Libby whimpered and clutched at his shirt, parting her lips.

When the front door opened, Jerry dropped the mistletoe to the ground and looked at Libby’s father, in shock. When he noticed that her mother was suddenly standing in the entryway to the den, he lowered his eyes, guiltily, as if he were a teenager caught groping these people’s daughter… instead of a 46-year-old man who was caught groping these people’s daughter. 

He had tried to put a respectable distance between himself and Libby, but she had moved her arms to clamp them firmly around his waist, holding him in place. She smiled at her parents, who were smirking at Jerry’s bright red sweater, which had the words ‘Have A Holly Jolly Christmas’ across the front. It was the mirror image of the tiny version their youngest grandson was wearing.

“Jerry,” Sal said, solemnly. “That’s a _nice_ sweater.”

“Uh, thanks… Merry Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Giordano,” he murmured, sheepishly.

“Papa!” 

The Giordanos watched as Jerry’s face lit up when he saw Nicky in Teresa’s arms. The child reached out his little arms to Jerry and struggled to get to him. When he launched himself forward, Teresa gasped and nearly dropped him, but Jerry was quick to catch him, rescuing him from the fall. 

“Hi, Papa!” the toddler grinned, as Jerry held him, securely.

“Hi, sweet boy,” he beamed at the child who was the light of his life

“Hi, Mama!” Nicky turned to look at his mother.

“Hi, my love.”

Jerry held the mistletoe over the little boy’s head and looked at Libby, giving her a conspiratorial smile. At the same time, they began smothering the child’s face in kisses, causing him to erupt in laughter.

Teresa and Sal exchanged a pleased look, as they took in the sight before them. Sal shrugged and nodded, at his wife. He had to admit that, no matter what their thoughts on divorce in their religion, neither of them could deny that Jerry seemed to be a perfect match for their daughter and a good addition to their family.

“Can I help you, Mr. Giordano?” Jerry asked, spying the packages in his future father-in-law’s arms. 

“Do that, honey,” Libby answered, before her father could. “Help Pop with their bags, while Ma and I finish up cooking… Nicky, come with Mommy.”

“No! _Papa_...”

“Papa’s going with Grandpa, sweetie. Don’t you want to come with Mommy and Grandma to the kitchen? You can have a gingerbread man.”

The little boy shook his head and tightened his arms around Jerry’s neck.

“No! _Papa_.”

“I’ll take him, Libs,” Jerry said. “He won’t be in the way.”

“Ok, then… I’ll see you later.”

Jerry headed out the front door, toward the Giordano’s car, and Sal turned to follow him.

“Pop… Be _nice_.”

Libby shot her father a look of warning, causing him to hold up his hands and look at her, innocently.

“I’m _always_ nice, Libby.”

She shook her head, as he walked outside, closing the door behind him. Putting her arms around her mother, the two women headed off toward the kitchen. 

Christmas Eve had just begun.

-


	2. Chapter 2

-

“So, what still needs to be done?” Teresa asked, as she surveyed the array of food in her daughter’s kitchen.

“Not a lot, actually. Everything is mostly done… The cookies and the pies are finished. The panettone is already on the table. I made the green bean casserole last night, so it just has to be warmed up. The turkey is in the bottom oven and Pop’s fish is in the top one. We just need to make the mashed potatoes and the salad.”

“You didn’t leave anything for me to do? How did you manage all that alone? Were you up all night?”

“I didn’t do it alone. Jerry actually did most of it.”

A look of surprise crossed Teresa’s face.

“A man who helps in the kitchen? He sounds like a good man.”

“Jerry is a _wonderful_ man. He doesn’t want me to have to lift a finger to do anything… He used to take all of his laundry to the cleaners, every last piece of it. Now, he does _all_ the laundry for me… Well, he still sends off anything that needs ironing. He tried ironing a couple of times and… it did not go well.”

The two of them chuckled.

“Then I’ll start peeling the potatoes,” Teresa said, as she took one of Libby’s aprons and tied it around her waist. 

Libby took out a pot, as her mother went to work on peeling the pile of potatoes in front of her.

“How many should I peel? Who all is coming?”

“It’s just you and Pop, Jerry and me, Corky, Amanda, Becca and Nicky… so eight of us.”

“Paige isn’t coming?”

Libby shook her head, silently, and leaned against the counter.

“Have you heard from her at all?”

“Not a word since Thanksgiving… I’ve tried calling her over and over. I’ve written her a letter. I got her on the phone once, but she hung up as soon as she heard my voice. I tried dropping by her apartment a couple of times but she never answers the door. She won’t even take Becca’s calls… The only one she’ll speak with is Corky… and Drew, I assume.”

“She’ll come around eventually, cara,” Teresa said, reassuringly.

“I hope so… I’m not sure though. My relationship with Paige has always been so iffy… You _know_ how she is.”

“Yes, but she loves you... You’re the only mother she’s ever known.”

“But I’m _not_ her mother and she has always been quick to remind me of that… You know, we assume that all those years of wiping their noses and butts mean something, but they don’t. It does to us, but not to the kids… I’ve always been afraid that, if Drew and I were to break up, she wouldn’t want anything to do with me anymore… I guess that’s what’s happening now,” Libby replied, her voice breaking.

Teresa glanced at her daughter, who was staring off into space. She took Libby’s hand and gave it a small squeeze.

“Give her time, love. She’ll eventually come back. She always does.”

“I’m just not sure this time, Ma…” she sighed. “If it were Becca, I’d be positive she would eventually come back to me, once she cooled down, but-”

“If it were Becca, it wouldn’t have happened in the first place,” her mother said. “Becca would never say those things to you. Becca is her _mother’s_ daughter and Paige is her _father’s_.”

Libby sighed and agreed, grudgingly, 

“And the others? How do they feel about you getting married again?”

“Well, Nicky’s obviously thrilled…” Libby replied, smiling. “As you saw, he and Jerry are _completely_ in love.”

Teresa nodded, in agreement.

“He seems to be good with Nicky. It looks like he really loves him.”

“He _adores_ him. All he’s wanted, since the second he found out I was expecting, was to be a father. He finally gets to do that, without the shield of ‘godfather’, and it has him walking on air… He’s _finally_ a daddy.”

“Nicky does seem to be close to him.”

“He is…Drew never took much interest in the baby and Nicky always felt that, so he was never that close to him.”

“Do you think he ever suspected that Nicky wasn’t his? Could that be why he didn’t take much interest?”

“No, he never suspected anything…” she shook her head. “According to Paige, Drew had long been planning on divorcing me when Becca went off to college. You know, wait for the last baby bird to be out of the nest… My getting pregnant, and having another mouth for us to feed, ruined his plans, which is why I assume he never had any real feeling toward the baby. Nicky was never seen as anything but a burden to Drew…”

Libby sneaked a glance at her mother, who was silently peeling potatoes.

“I get that I’m not in the right, Ma… I know that the way I handled things wasn’t the right way to go about being with Jerry-”

Teresa avoided eye contact with her daughter and, busily, went about the task before her.

“I’m not saying anything about anything, Libby… We’ve already talked about all this before.”

“I know, but I don’t want you to think that I think I’m holier than thou when it comes to the situation with Drew… I’ve felt incredibly guilty at times, but he spent almost 20 years running around on me, before I… Jerry and I… We...” she stammered, trying to come up with a description of what they had done that would be suitable for her mother.

Her mother shot her an amused look, before turning back to the potatoes.

“Does Drew know about you and Jerry?”

“I don’t know if the kids told him that we’re getting married, but I assume so. He definitely knows we’re together... He showed up one day when Jerry and I were here alone and... caught us.”

“In _bed_?” her mother asked, incredulously.

“No... We were in the kitchen, but Jerry was in his underwear and it was obvious that we had... been _together_.”

Teresa cleared her throat.

“And how did he react?”

“No different than he would over anything, actually. He yelled and called me names, but it was over pretty quickly… He had the baby with him and Nicky started screaming, so Drew just handed him to me and took off. I haven’t seen or heard from him since then… I figured that he would tell the kids about Jerry and me, but he didn’t.”

Libby watched, as her mother filled up the pot of potatoes with water and set it on the stove. Teresa then began gathering vegetables and took a seat at the kitchen table.

“How are they handling it?” Teresa inquired. “You and Jerry being together, I mean.”

“Becca’s fine with it…” Libby answered, as she took a seat beside her mother. “Well, it’s strange for her, I imagine, but she’s accepting of it... Of course, she’s off at school and isn’t really faced with it, so it’s easier for her to be supportive.”

“And Corky?”

A long sigh came from Libby.

“It’s not so easy for _him_.”

“He doesn’t like Jerry?”

“Actually, he used to _love_ Jerry... They were very close and they got even closer once Drew had left, because Jerry was around more. However, from the day he found out we were a couple and that we’re getting married, he’s hardly said two words to me and won’t even look Jerry’s way... It’s been a month now.”

“He’ll come around eventually,” her mother reassured her.

“I hope so… He doesn’t handle change well and I’m not sure what to do. I’ve tried talking to him about it.”

“And Jerry?”

“Jerry wants to have a talk with him, but I told him to just leave Corky alone for now and that he’ll probably work it out on his own… but it hurts Jerry’s feelings a lot. He really _loves_ Corky.”

“It will work out, cara. It’s all probably very sudden for him. Drew leaves and suddenly you’re marrying someone else… and Drew is expecting a baby with someone else... When is it due, by the way?”

Libby snickered and rolled her eyes.

“Drew told the kids to expect their little brother or sister around February 19th.”

“So, she got pregnant in…?”

“May, I would imagine, but that’s only when she got pregnant... I’m positive that’s not when they started messing around. That girl started looking at me strangely not long after she started.”

“And how do the children feel about him having a baby with someone else?”

“Becca is disgusted and Corky won’t talk about it _at all_.”

“And how do you feel about him having a baby with someone else?”

Libby looked at her mother, pointedly.

“I can hardly judge _that_... can I, Ma?” 

Teresa shrugged.

“It doesn’t mean you don’t have feelings about it.”

“I couldn’t care less about him having a child with someone else. As long as it’s not with me, I’m fine with it… The only thing that I’m irritated about is that, after twenty years of marriage, he just left like a thief in the night. He didn’t speak to any of the kids about it, either beforehand or afterwards. If Corky and I had gotten home from our trip an hour later, he wouldn’t have told me either - I just caught him in the act, as he was loading up his car to leave, so he _had_ to tell me. And then he left me alone, to tell the kids… All those years I stayed with him, in misery, thinking I had to stay because of Corky and Drew was out the door the first chance he got, without a second thought about his children.”

Libby noticed her mother staring at her, questioningly.

“Don’t get me wrong, Ma… I’m so _happy_ that he left. I’m just disappointed that he didn’t care enough about the kids to tell them ahead of time… and I’m resentful that I spent all that time being unhappy, when I could have left him years ago.”

“There’s no use crying over spilled milk now, cara. What’s done is done… If you’re happy now, that’s what’s most important… and you _are_ happy now, right?”

Libby smiled.

“I’m very happy. Happier than I’ve been in a very long time, Ma.”

Teresa gave her daughter a gentle pat on the arm.

“I know you don’t approve-”

“Whether I approve or not isn’t important. What’s important to me is that my daughter is happy and that my grandchildren are happy. The rest… that’s for you to work out.”

“And Pop?”

“Your father has only ever wanted you to be happy… He thought Drew loved you. If he had ever dreamed that Drew wouldn’t be faithful, he would have never persuaded you to marry him.”

“You mean, _forced_ me to marry him.”

Teresa looked at her daughter, sharply. Libby was looking down at the table, playing with a piece of the tablecloth.

“Your father thought he was protecting you, Libby,” she said, softly. “You were a _teenager_. You had no idea what the real world was like and you were going to have a baby… He knew it would be difficult for a single mother, especially as young as you were at the time... Look at your sister and how she’s struggled having a baby alone.”

“I struggled too, Ma.”

“Yes, but you weren’t alone... You and Drew struggled together and you had a family, a house, a nice life. Your sister still struggles, she has none of those things and she does it completely _alone_.”

“Having Drew around didn’t make things as easy as you think. It helped put food on the table, yes, but life was still difficult with him.”

Her mother sighed.

“All men are difficult, Elizabeth. _All_ of them... You and Jerry are in love, but he’s not perfect either. Mark my words.”

“I know he isn’t perfect, but he’s not difficult in the same ways Drew is… Jerry would never _hurt_ me.” 

Teresa reached over and took her daughter’s hand, twining their fingers together. 

Libby glanced up to see a large pair of brown eyes, that were so much like her own, filled with tears.

“I’m sorry he hurt your heart, cara… and I’m sorry I didn’t realize that he had been doing it all this time and that you didn’t feel comfortable enough to make you feel like you could tell me.”

“It’s fine, Ma… To be honest, it didn’t hurt my heart as much as it seems like it would. Drew and I haven’t been happy or in love for _years_ … To be honest, since I fell in love with Jerry, I’ve come to the realization that Drew and I _never_ were in love. Not ever. I never felt for him the way I do for Jerry… and he certainly never felt that way about me… As often as he has cheated on me over the years and didn’t leave, I’m guessing he’s actually in love with this one.”

“What’s she like, the waitress?”

“Around 30, tall, thin, blonde… and the set of tits on her-”

“Elizabeth!”

“What else should I _call_ them, Ma? That’s what they are… If I had a set like that – or a set like _yours_ – Drew probably would have never even looked at another woman.”

Teresa gave a sympathetic look in the direction of her daughter’s smaller breasts.

“Yeah, well, you inherited those from your father’s side of the family,” she said. “Your backside? That one’s from me.”

Libby chuckled.

“Lucky me.”

“It doesn’t matter what Drew thinks – he’s old news… What does Jerry think?”

“About my… chest?” Libby’s eyes widened.

“About _you_.”

“He thinks I’m _perfect_ , if you can believe it… When I was 19 - and I was closest to being perfect at that age than I was at any other - Drew still complained about my looks… Now, I’m with someone who, for some reason, thinks I’m the most beautiful woman to walk the fact of the earth. At 43, with stretchmarks and having delivered 3 kids… Can you believe that, Ma?”

Teresa smiled and reached over, to stroke her daughter’s cheek.

“I can imagine someone thinking you’re beautiful… Oh, yes, I can...”

Libby smiled and allowed her mother to take her in her arms. For a moment, as her mother held her and rocked her, gently, she became a child again. Libby Giordano had been a strong-willed, but sweet and sensitive little girl, who, when hurt, needed nothing more than a cuddle from her mother to make everything better. Once she had grown up, she had forgotten how comforting those cuddles had been.

“So, when is he moving in?” Teresa asked.

“Jerry? Well, he already has moved in… sort of.”

Teresa released her daughter and pulled back, to look at her.

“You didn’t tell me that.”

“Well, he’s been sleeping here for months…” Libby explained. “It’s just Nicky and I in the house at night, because Corky and Amanda are at their place and Becca is away at school, so Jerry stays with us at night… Corky goes upstairs immediately after dinner and won’t come down in the morning, until Jerry’s car is gone. Jerry always leaves early anyway, so he can go to the gym before work, but still...”

“I see… How does Becca feel? She’s home for the holidays.”

“I talked to her about it last night and she’s fine with it... I mean, she’s uncomfortable with the idea of any man sleeping in her mother’s bed, other than her father, but it’s not really a problem for her. She’s matured so much, since going off to school... Jerry didn’t stay over last night, because it was Becca’s first night home from school and Jerry didn’t want her to be uncomfortable with him here. And he didn’t want to stay tonight, because he’s shy around you and Pop, but I told him that he’s staying tonight and every other night from now on, because I refuse to live without him one more day-”

“Um, Libs?”

Libby and Teresa turned to see Jerry standing in the doorway, holding Nicky in his arms. He looked oddly uncomfortable and Libby wondered how much of the conversation he had been present for.

“Hi honey!” she smiled at him. “What have my two boys been up to?”

“Uh, talkin’ to your dad.”

The two Giordano women exchanged a look.

“Is everything ok?” Libby asked.

“Yeah, of course… I’m just lookin’ for the wipes we bought yesterday. The box of diapers is upstairs but those two boxes of wipes we bought aren’t.”

“Does he need another diaper change?” she asked, confused. “Ma just changed him.”

“He’s just wet, but yeah... Maybe it’s the cold of being outside that made him have to go.”

“Ok, wait a minute, honey...” 

Before anyone had a chance to object, Libby abruptly walked out the back door, leaving her mother and Jerry alone in the kitchen.

When Teresa looked at him, Jerry gave her a sheepish look and lowered his eyes. Unconsciously, he rocked back and forth on his heels, and held his son closer to him.

“You don’t have to hide over there,” Teresa said, as she began chopping vegetables again. “You can come closer.”

Slowly, Jerry walked across the room, toward his future mother-in-law. He took a seat at the table, at the opposite end.

“Did you have a nice drive in?” he asked, softly.

“Yes… Was my husband nice to you?”

“Yeah, sure,” Jerry responded. “He’s just, you know… concerned... for his daughter.”

“I’m sure he is… Libby is his baby. She always has been. She’s his pride and joy.”

Jerry nodded.

“She’s mine, too,” he replied, simply.

They were silent for a moment and the only sound in the room was Teresa’s chopping.

“Does he, um, know?” Jerry finally asked. “About me and Libby… and Nicky? I couldn’t tell.”

Not looking up from her task, she shook her head.

“No, he doesn’t need to know that... Only you, Libby and I seem to know about that... and God, of course.”

She lifted her eyes to look, pointedly, at Jerry.

He blanched.

“There are some things a father doesn’t need to know about his daughter…” she continued, “and her having an extramarital affair and getting pregnant, and then making the real father the godfather of his own child in the House of God – in front of a priest - is one of them.”

Jerry gulped, not knowing whether to be relieved that Libby’s father didn’t know or to be terrified that Libby’s mother did.

He ran his hand over Nicky’s dark, silky hair.

“I’m sure you’re happy to be able to be around the baby more often now,” she murmured.

“Oh yeah…” Jerry breathed, while gazing at his son. “To finally be with him and Libby is just…It’s…”

Try as he might, the right word wouldn’t come so, instead, he gave his son a gentle kiss on the cheek. 

Nicky looked at him and giggled.

“Hi, Papa.”

“Hi, son.”

The back door opened and Libby breezed back into the kitchen, carrying a shopping bag.

“We left them in the trunk of the car…” she explained. “Let me have him, Jer. I’ll go change him.”

“No, no, no…” he said, standing up. “Why should you have to do it when I’m happy to?... Just keep on with your cookin’ and I’ll change him, put him down for his nap and be back down afterwards, to see if you need anything.”

“Are you sure, honey?”

“Of course I’m sure,” he smiled. “I’ll see ya in a bit.” 

With a tender kiss for Libby and a shy smile at Teresa, he took the bag and his son and left the room.

“He’s already better than Drew, with respect to children,” her mother quipped.

“He’s better in every respect.”

“Really? _Everrry_ one?” Teresa asked, giving her daughter a teasing look.

“ _Ma_!” Libby gasped, in shock.

“What?" her mother looked at her, innocently. "I might be your mother but I’m still a _woman_... I’m _interested_.”

Libby smirked at her mother.

“Yes, Ma, he’s better in _that_ respect too… So _much_ better. The best of my _entire_ life.”

Teresa’s eye widened.

“Ok, that’s enough,” she said, shortly, shaking her head and returning to the vegetables.

“I thought you _wanted_ to hear about my sex life, Ma,” Libby teased.

“Not _all_ of it. You’re still my _little_ girl, Elizabeth, no matter how old you get.”

“Well, I wasn’t going to tell you _all_ of it... but what I _was_ going to tell you is that Jerry-”

Teresa clamped her hands over her ears and raced out of the kitchen, while Libby’s laughter followed her.

-


	3. Chapter 3

-

“Dinner’s ready!”

Jerry’s dark eyes widened as he walked into the dining room, holding Nicky. The table was laden with more food than he had probably ever seen on one table.

“You ready to eat, honey?” Libby asked Jerry, as she breezed into the dining room, with a large bowl of mashed potatoes.

Jerry grinned when he noticed she was wearing the Christmas sweater that matched his and Nicky’s.

“Sure, I’m ready… You should have told me you needed help setting the table. What can I do?” he asked, as he set Nicky in his highchair.

“Nothing, that’s the last of it,” she smiled, as the rest of the family walked in and began taking their seats.

He noticed that Corky, Amanda and Becca had taken seats on one side of the table, while Libby and her mother had seated themselves on the opposite side.

“Now Jerry, you take a seat at the head of the table,” Sal gestured to the seat at the other end of the table, opposite him.

“Oh, that’s ok,” Jerry said, nervously. “I’d rather sit next to Libby and Nicky... Maybe Mrs. Giordano would like to sit there…?”

Sal shook his head.

“No.” he stated, plainly. “You’re marrying Libby and this is going to be your home, so you’ll be the head of this family... _You_ sit at the head of table. It’s tradition.” 

Jerry blinked, rapidly, looking to Libby for help. She shrugged, helplessly.

“But this is Libby’s family,” he said, weakly. “ _She_ should probably be the one to sit there.”

“Women aren’t _allowed_ to sit at the head of the table,” Libby said, in a teasingly mocking voice, while rolling her eyes. “It’s just for the _men_ of the family… Giordano tradition.”

“Grandpa, that is so outdated!” Becca scoffed, in her overly dramatic voice. “The head of the table isn’t just for men.”

Becca noticed the panicked look on Jerry’s face and smiled at him.

“Oh, I don’t mind if you sit there, Jerry! I just don’t think it should _only_ be for men.”

“I agree,” Jerry smiled at her, gratefully.

Sal looked at his granddaughter.  
“Well, when you have a husband, you can sit at the head of _your_ table and you can set him at the kiddie table,” Sal smirked. “But, until then, we do this the Giordano way... Have a seat, Jerry.”

Jerry looked at Libby, a surprised look on his face. He knew Sal Giordano was a traditional man, but he was also one who clearly adored his daughter, so Jerry was surprised that he would be so rigid in regards to the rule.

Libby smiled and nodded at him, encouragingly.

Reluctantly, Jerry sat down and Libby, who was sitting beside him, positioned the baby’s high chair between them.

“That’s my _dad’s_ seat,” Corky stated, coldly.

Jerry shifted, uncomfortably, and glanced at Libby.

“Your dad doesn’t live here anymore, Corky,” Libby said, matter-of-factly. “He doesn’t have a seat.”

“Um, maybe Corky should sit here,” Jerry suggested, standing up, abruptly. 

“No, this is your family now, Jerry,” Sal said. “As the head of this household, that’s _your_ place… Now, sit down so we can eat.”

With a reluctant look at Corky, who was staring at his plate, Jerry sat down. 

Libby gave her fiance a reassuring smile and, as Sal began saying grace, she took Jerry’s hand in her own. 

Jerry watched as everyone bowed their heads, during the prayer. He felt Libby give his hand a gentle squeeze, before she released it, to cross herself.

The family began serving themselves from the various dishes on the table.

“Do you want me to serve you, honey?” Libby leaned over, to ask Jerry, quietly.

“No, no… I’ll do it,” he replied, reaching for a roll.

“Why are there two cranberry sauces?” Becca asked, as she helped herself to the mashed potatoes.

“Jerry’s allergic to nuts, so I made one without,” Libby explained, as she put some turkey on Jerry’s plate.

“I hope you’re not allergic to fish, Jerry,” Sal said, passing his specialty down the table, to Jerry. “Because you _have_ to try this.”

“Jerry’s allergic to a lot of things,” Becca said. “Aren’t you allergic to dogs, Jerry? How can you be around Arnold, without sneezing all the time?”

“Um, I get shots,” he answered, quietly. 

Everyone was suddenly silent and turned to look at him.

Jerry blanched, embarrassed by the attention that was suddenly focused on him.

“What?” Sal asked. “ _Shots_?”

“What kind of shots, Jerry?” Becca stared at him.

“Allergy shots,” he explained. “You all have a dog and I’m allergic to dogs, so I thought I should do what I can to get… un-allergic.”

“Do they hurt, Jerry?” Amanda asked, concerned.

“Not so bad,” he shrugged and smiled.

Libby shook her head.

“Don’t let him downplay this…” she stated, looking around the table. “He’s been going to the doctor and getting these shots three times a week for the last four months and still has to do it another two months, before they go down to once a month.”

A collective gasp went around the table.

“He’s getting shots three times a week for a _dog_?” Teresa muttered. “That’s _quite_ a man, Libby.”

“I told you, Ma… he’s _perfect_.”

Libby gave Jerry a wide smile, before reaching across their son, to stroke Jerry’s cheek. He blushed and looked down, smiling.

“So, Jerry, do you feel like you’re up to marrying my girl, here?” Sal asked, casually, as he began. “She’s quite a handful.”

“Pop!” Libby exclaimed, laughing. 

“Oh yeah,” Jerry breathed, reaching over to place his hand on Libby’s back. “I’ve been up for it for a _long_ time.”

Libby blushed and gave him a warm smile.

“Do you think you have the means to take care of her?”

She turned to her father, only slightly exasperated.

“Pop! You don’t need to do this. I’m not a kid anymore…. What are you going to do next, ask him for a dowry?”

“A dowry? Please...” her father scoffed. “You’re over 40, with four kids. I’m not sure I would get a single _goat_ for you, piccolina.”

Jerry looked at Libby in shock, but the playful smirk that was exchanged between her and her father indicated that the two of them often teased this way.

“Thanks a lot, Pop.”

“I’d give you all the goats you want for her!” Jerry interjected, trying to play along.

When all eyes turned to him, he blushed, furiously.

“That’s good, Jerry,” Sal stated, seriously, as he suppressed a smile. “I don’t know what I’d do with a bunch of goats in the suburbs, but I appreciate you offering them for my daughter’s hand.”

“Where are you going to get all these goats you’re planning on spending for me, Jer?” Libby smirked.

Jerry shrugged.

“I don’t know. That’s what I have an assistant for.”

Libby snickered and shook her head. 

Jerry reached over and, gently, took her hand.

“Mr. Giordano, Mrs. Giordano…” Jerry said, reassuringly, looking back and forth between her parents. “You don’t have to worry about your daughter...or your grandkids... I love Libby _so_ much and, as Libby Berkson, she is never ever going to want for a thing…. None of them will, not her or the kids. Not ever. All I want in the world is to make Libby happy.”

Sal and Teresa exchanged a brief look and a smile.

“Well, that’s good…” Sal stated. “I expect you to take good care of her, Jerry… She has a gentle heart. She always has.”

“He takes excellent care of me, Pop. Jerry is…” Libby gazed at Jerry, trying to find the right word. “Absolutely _perfect_.”

“I don’t know about that,” Jerry chuckled.

“You are to _me_.”

Not breaking eye contact with her, Jerry lifted the hand of the woman he loved and kissed it.

Sal cleared his throat.

“Ok… Enough with the mushy stuff in front of us… I want to hear from the rest of you,” Sal asked, looking around the table, at his family. “What does everyone think about this marriage?”

“Sal-” Teresa said, a warning tone in her voice.

“What?” he demanded. “I wanna know what the kids think. I-”

They began speaking Italian, leaving Jerry utterly confused. As the volume of his in-laws’ discussion began to increase, as well as their gesturing becoming more animated, he looked around the table. Libby appeared to be the only one who seemed to be able to understand the the Giordanos. Nicky was picking at the food on his plate, Becca simply shook her head and Amanda shrugged her shoulders. Corky, as usual, wouldn’t even glance Jerry’s way.

“Well, I’m very happy they’re getting married,” Amanda suddenly piped up. “I love Jerry!”

The Giordanos stopped arguing and Libby and Jerry both smiled at Corky’s wife, gratefully.

“I love you too, sweetie,” Jerry smiled. “I’ve always wanted a daughter… and now I suddenly have a few of them.”

Amanda and Becca exchanged pleased smiled. 

“Hi Papa!” 

“I’ve also always wanted a son!” Jerry exclaimed, playfully, bending to kiss Nicky on the cheek. “Isn’t that right, bubbeleh?”

Nicky reached out from his high chair, toward Jerry, lifting his arms to be held.

“Papa, up!” 

“Papa can’t hold you right now, honey,” Libby smiled, at their son. “He’s trying to eat… Eat your dinner now and he’ll hold you later.”

“Papa, up!” the child demanded.

“I can hold him on my lap, Libs.”

Libby shook her head.

“No, Jerry, he has to learn that he has to stay in his chair, until we’re finished eating, and that you’re not going to stop everything to pick him up… Now, eat your dinner, Nicky, and let Papa eat his.”

“Papa!” Nicky whined, reaching toward Jerry.

“Why does he have to _call_ him that?” 

Everyone turned to look in the direction where the sullen voice had just come from.

Corky sat in his chair, his arms crossed, glowering.

“Why can’t he just call him by his name?”

“Because that’s what I decided Nicky is going to call him,” Libby answered, simply. 

“But _why_?” he demanded. “It’s not like he’s Nicky’s dad! He shouldn’t have to call him _that_.”

“Corky…” Libby tried to remain patient. “Nicky isn’t calling Jerry ‘Dad’, that’s what he calls your dad. He’s calling him ‘Papa’.” 

“It’s the same thing! They’re both names for _dads_.”

His mother took a deep breath and let it out, before answering.

“Well, Jerry is going to be Nicky’s stepfather, so he will very much be a dad to him… So ‘Uncle Jerry’ doesn’t work anymore.”

“But-”

“What difference does it make who calls who what, huh?” Sal interjected, good-naturedly. “It’s all just a name… Look Corky, when your mother was little, she called me Papa. As she got it older, it got shortened to Pop. A nickname. Just like with your grandma. She called her Mama and then it got shortened to Ma. We’re still the same people, with different names.”

“But you’re her parents, Grandpa. She’s supposed to call you names like that… _He’s_ not Nicky’s dad.”

“ _He_ has a name, Corky. Use it-” Libby seethed.

Sal put his hand up, interrupting his daughter.

“Then look at your mother…” he said. “She isn’t Paige’s real mother, she’s her _step_ mother. But she’s been the one taking care of Paige since she was a little baby… and Paige calls her ‘Mom’.”

“Not anymore,” Corky answered, looking at Libby, scornfully.

Everyone was silent, as they turned to look at Libby.

Libby stared at her eldest son for a long time.

She had no idea who this was sitting across from her and scowling at her with such hatred in his blue eyes. His father’s eyes. 

Corky. Her first baby. Her first thought in the morning and her last dream at night. The most sweet-natured of all of her children. The one she knew would never leave her. The one who called her Mommy until he was 13 and one of Becca’s friends made fun of him over it. The one who, until the moment she had announced that she and Jerry were getting married a month ago, would crawl into her bed when he was sick or cuddle with her on the couch, during a movie. The one who had never before hurt her on purpose.

“Corky…” she said, softly. “I know you love your brother… but he is your _brother_ and my _son_. I will be the one to decide what _my_ child will call people – not _you_.”

“And what about Dad?” he demanded. “He’s Dad’s son, too! What if he tells Nicky to call Susan ‘Mom’?”

“Then I will deal with that… This is not your concern, Corky, or your decision.”

“It is too!” Corky shouted, slamming his fist onto the table. “Quit trying to make Jerry into Nicky’s dad, because he isn’t!”

He jumped up from the table and raced from the room.

“Corky!” Libby called. “Get back here! Right-”

“I’ll go talk to him, cara,” Sal groaned, getting up from the table.

“No, Mr. Giordano, I’ll go,” Jerry said, standing up. “I think Corky and I have a few things we need to work out… Please finish your dinner.”

Libby reached for Jerry’s hand.

“Jer, do you really think that’s a good idea? He might need some time to cool down… and your food will get cold.”

“This is more important than my food, honey. It’s been a long time comin’.”

As he moved past Libby, he gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze, trying to reassure her. He dropped a quick kiss on top of her head, before he leaving the room.

-


	4. Chapter 4

\- 

After crossing the backyard, Jerry began the ascent to Corky and Amanda’s studio apartment. By the time he reached the top of the long flight of stairs, he wondered how those kids managed to go up and down all day long. Jerry had been going to the gym three times a week, as well as going for a run every morning, for the past 10 years and still he was out of breath.

Summoning his courage, he gave a quiet knock on the door and, while he waited, wondered what on earth he was going to say to Libby’s 22-year-old son.

Until a month ago, he and Corky had been close… or so Jerry thought. They had spent quite a bit of time together in the three months beforehand and Jerry felt that he and Corky had become good friends. Then, after the day Libby informed her children that the two of them would be getting married, Corky never said another word to him. Hell, he wouldn’t even look in Jerry’s direction.

Jerry knew that, as long as Libby was still willing, he was going to marry her… regardless of how upset Corky was about it. He cared deeply for the young man and didn’t want to see him upset, but he had waited far too many years to be with the woman he loved, as well as to be a father to their son, to let anything stop him.

The curtain was pulled aside and Corky’s face was suddenly in the window. He rolled his eyes when he saw his future stepfather standing there and, for a second, Jerry thought he wasn’t going to open the door but, after a moment, he heard the lock turn.

Corky was already halfway across the room by the time the door opened.

Jerry took a deep breath before he took a step into the room, closing the door behind him.

When he turned around, he noticed that Corky had taken a seat on the small couch in the sitting area.

“Is it ok if I come in?” 

“You’re already in,” was the sullen reply.

“Right… I meant is it ok if I come in here and talk to you?” Jerry asked, quietly.

Corky shrugged, noncommittally. 

Jerry took that as a yes and walked further into the room. He sat on the opposite end of the couch and looked around.

The room was nice-sized, spanning the entire size of the elongated two-car garage. There was a bed on the opposite side of the room, close to a small kitchen area that contained a small dining table, a sink, a mini-fridge and a microwave. There were two doors beyond the bed, one of which Jerry assumed was a bathroom and the other a closet. There was also a generous sitting area, with a couch and chairs, that Jerry and Corky were currently awkwardly sharing.

“This is a nice place,” Jerry commented. “It’s about twice as big as the apartment I had when I was in college… The place I lived in had a shower in the kitchen. I could make eggs and wash my back at the same time.”

It was normally the type of comment that made Corky laugh but, when he didn’t react at all, Jerry looked uncomfortable.

The tension in the room was thick and awkward. While Jerry’s body was positioned toward Corky’s, the young man was facing forward, not looking at his mother’s lover. His fists were clenched and his limbs rigid.

Jerry took a deep breath.

“So, what’s the deal, pal?” he asked, softly. “Are we not friends anymore, because I’m marrying your mom?”

Corky’s arms moved so slightly that Jerry could barely perceive that it had been a shrug.

“Do you feel that she and I did something wrong by falling in love with each other?”

When Corky didn’t answer, Jerry sighed and looked at his hands. He was trying to think of something else to say - something that wouldn’t upset Corky - when he heard Corky speak.

“Becca says you have sex with my mom... Is that true?”

Jerry’s eyes widened and began blinking, rapidly.

He gulped. Audibly.

“I- Um-” he stammered. “Have you asked your mother this, Cork?”

“No!” Corky snapped, his eyes shooting daggers at him. “I wouldn’t ask _her_ that... She’s my _mom_.”

“Yeah,” he murmured. “You see, I’m not sure _I’m_ the right person to ask either.”

“Why not?” was the young man’s sarcastic response. “I thought you said before that we were _friends_.” 

“We _are_ friends, but even friends don’t talk about stuff like this… It’s very personal and private. Stuff like that should stay between a couple.”

“Why?… If you’re my friend, you should be able to tell me anything… I’ll tell you about me and Amanda. We-”

“No,” Jerry put his hand up. “No need to tell me _anything_ like that.”

“So… _Do_ you, Jerry?… With my _mom_?”

For a long time, Jerry stared at him.

“Yes,” he answered, simply.

“ _Why_?”

“Well, because we’re in love… When you’re in love with someone, you want to be as close as possible to that person and that’s the closest you can get to someone… You’re married, Cork. You _know_ this.”

“When do you do it?”

Jerry gaped at him.

“ _When_?” he repeated, in a strangled voice. “I- uh- I really don’t know what to say here, kid… _At night_?”

Corky nodded, looking away.

“Does my dad know?”

Jerry thought back to the weekend, shortly after Drew and Libby had separated, when Drew had come to the house unexpectedly, finding Jerry in his boxers in the kitchen, with fresh scratch marks marring his back.

“I think so,” Jerry said, cautiously.

“He’s probably not happy about it.”

“Maybe not… but you dad has a new girlfriend of his own right now, right?”

“Yeah… He has sex with _her_ , too.”

The older man blanched and pleaded with whatever supreme being that might exist that Corky would stop talking about sex.

“I don’t like to think about my mom or dad doing that,” Corky said, distastefully.

“I’ll let you in on a little secret, kiddo…” Jerry stated. “ _No one_ likes to think about their mom or dad - or their kids - doing that… so, do yourself a favor and don’t think about it.”

Corky nodded.

They sat there, in silence.

“How long have you loved my mom?”

With an unconscious smile, Jerry sighed.

“A _long_ time…” he breathed. “I think I’ve probably loved your mom since before I was born. Since before my parents were born… I think, when our souls were out there in the universe floating around, millions of years ago, I loved her then.”

The young man looked at Jerry, confused.

“How can it be that you love someone before you know them?”

Jerry shrugged.

“I don’t know, but I did… Cork, the first day your mom walked into my office, I _knew_ her. I didn’t even know her name yet. I didn’t know what she sounded like or how old she was or anything about her, but I knew her _soul_ … and I knew I loved her the second I laid eyes on her.”

Corky stared at him, confused.

“You knew you loved her even _then_? When she was married to my _dad_?”

“Yes, but I didn’t tell her… I didn’t think ‘I hope this lady loves me one day and I hope I can marry her’. I just thought that this is my _person_ and I want her in my life, no matter how she’s there... She ended up becoming my best friend. Then things changed over time and now, after a lot of years, she’s going to be my wife.”

“Does my mom know that you feel this way about her?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “I try to tell her but I don’t know how much she understands because I can’t tell her _exactly_ how I feel.”

“Why not?”

“Well… do you ever feel like you have all these feelings inside but, when you open your mouth to talk about them, the right words won’t come?”

Corky nodded.

“Yeah, _all_ the time.”

“That’s how it is with your mom. I have more feelings for her than there are words in the dictionary, Corky… There are no words that say exactly how I feel because there aren’t enough words in the world, in any language… so I just tell her that I love her. It’s not enough but she can understand that.”

“And she loves you, too?”

“And she loves me, too.”

Again, they were silent.

“I don’t think we can still be friends if you’re gonna marry my mom, Jerry.”

The statement hit Jerry like a ton of bricks. He felt as if he had been sucker punched in the gut and that all the air in his lungs had been forced out by the blow.

He closed his eyes, hoping that the traitorous tears he felt filling them wouldn’t dare spill over.

“Why is that?” Jerry finally asked, sounding defeated. 

“Because it won’t be the same as it once was.”

“Why not, Cork? We used to have good times, you and me… didn’t we? We took that trip to Chicago and we hung out a bunch after that. You, me, Amanda and your mom used to barbecue at the house. You used to call me up at the office or at home when you wanted to talk or were having a bad day. We were pals… What have I done that is bad enough that makes you not want to be my friend anymore?”

Unable to find an answer, Corky merely shrugged.

Jerry exhaled, sadly.

“Well, that’s too bad, because I was really hoping that you might show me the ropes around here, Cork.”

“What do you mean?” Corky looked at him.

“Well, I know your sisters, but not _that_ well... _You’re_ the one I’ve spent a lot of time with. You know, we’ve spent quite a bit of time together, over the years… I don’t know, I’ve always kind of looked at you as my best friend.”

The young man looked confused.

“Isn’t my mom your best friend? I thought you marry your best friend… I mean, Amanda is mine.”

“Yeah, of course she is… Your mom is my number one best friend, the person that I love, but that’s different… I’m talking about a guy friend, a buddy… I’ve always looked at you that way, as my buddy... I don’t know if you’ve looked at me that way.”

“Yeah… but what about Nicky? He seems to be your _favorite_ guy friend,” Corky pouted.

Jerry looked down.

“Nicky’s not my favorite, Cork… But he’s still a baby and babies are treated differently than other guy friends… I mean, you don’t want to sit on my lap during dinner, do ya?” 

Despite himself, Corky smiled.

“No.”

“Alright then, so it’s different for him… When he’s older, though, I’m hoping all three of us will be best friends. You know, like the Three Amigos.”

“I like that movie,” the young man said, grudgingly.

“So do I.”

“But Jerry,” Corky looked at him. “I can’t still be friends with my dad if I’m your friend...”

“Why not? You and I were friends before I was going to marry your mom. So, what’s changed, pal?... Nothin’, that’s what. I’m your friend and your dad is your friend, same as before.”

“Do you want me to call you Dad?”

Jerry shook his head.

“You have a dad, Cork and I’m not tryin’ to take his place.. I’m the same guy who took you to Chicago and takes you golfin’ and takes you to the movies... Just your old friend Jerry. That isn’t changing. The only thing that’s changing is that I’m going to be your mother’s husband. But I’m still just Jerry.”

Corky stayed silent a moment.

“My mom says you’re gonna be my stepfather.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Jerry nodded. “But that’s just a name, like any other.”

“Are you gonna tell me what to do, like my dad does?”

“Why would I do that?” he asked. “Corky, you’re a grown man. I shouldn’t be telling you what to do.”

“Are you gonna tell Nicky what to do?”

Leaning forward, Jerry folded his hands and braced his elbows on his knees.

“Well, that’s a little different, Cork... Nicky is a baby and I’m gonna be helpin’ to raise him every day. We _all_ are gonna be tellin’ him what to do – your mom, you, me, Paige, Becca, Amanda... Plus, I’ll probably be more of a dad to him because he’s just a little guy and little guys need lots of help.”

“But he already _has_ a dad.”

Jerry hesitated.

“Yes… but your dad won’t be in the same house with him all the time and _I_ will.” 

“Why is he calling you Papa?”

“Because your mom decided that’s what she wants Nicky to call me. It’s just a nickname.”

“Why can’t he call you ‘Jerry’, like we do?”

The older man considered how best to answer the question.

“Your mother would have to answer that, Corky, but maybe because ‘Jerry’ is hard for a baby to say. He’d probably end up calling me ‘Jeh-wy’ for the rest of his life… And, besides that, I’m going to be raising him… kinda like a dad, Cork. I _know_ he has a dad and he’s not callin’ me ‘Dad’… He’ll just say Papa, that’s all… It doesn’t change anything. Just like with ‘stepfather’, it’s just a name… Does it bother you when Paige calls your mom ‘Mom’, even though she isn’t?”

“No.”

Silently, Jerry took a deep breath. He hoped that he was somehow making headway with Corky.

“Are you and my mom going to have a baby together?” 

His mouth agape, Jerry peered at Corky.

“No. We’re not.”

“Isn’t that what people do when they get married?” the young man asked.

“Sometimes, but your mom and I are- We’re too old to have babies.”

“Nicky’s still a baby and my mom had him... And my dad is having a baby with some woman and he’s even older than my mom.”

“Yeah, but… Your mom and I aren’t going to do that, Corky. She already has four kids.”

“Don’t you want any kids of your own, Jerry?”

Smiling, Jerry shook his head.

“I don’t need that, Cork… Some people need to have their blood running through a kid’s veins to love them. I don’t. I love people for who they are… not because they look like me or have my last name. I’m happy thinking I’m going to have four step-kids - five with Amanda.”

Corky looked away.

The two of them sat in awkward silence for a moment.

“Everything’s different now,” Corky finally said.

“Yeah…” Jerry agreed. “But that doesn’t mean that it has to be bad. It can be even better than it was before.”

“How? My mom and dad hate each other.”

“You know, it might not always be like that, Corky… Right now, there’s hurt and anger on both sides. They’re ending a marriage that neither one of them were happy in, one they probably should have ended years ago… But they still love you kids, even if they don’t love each other anymore. Just because they didn’t want to be together anymore, doesn’t mean they don’t love you all. Right now, they’re having a hard with the changes, too, but it won’t always be like that… Maybe, one day, they’ll even be friends.”

“I want them to be friends and still _be_ together.”

Shifting, awkwardly, Jerry tried to catch Corky’s eye.

“Well, that doesn’t seem like _they_ want that, pal. _Neither_ of them… Remember how you’d say that your mom and dad would fight all the time and that he’d say things to her that weren’t nice? He did that because they weren’t happy together, Corky. Now both of them have someone they are happy with. Doesn’t that make you happy to know that they’re _finally_ happy?”

Corky shrugged.

“You know, Corky, I know you’re upset by all of this and that it’s hard for you. I realize that it might take awhile for you to accept it and want to be my friend again and I respect that… I hope it happens one day because I _really_ miss you bein’ my friend. I miss talkin’ with you and spendin’ time with you... I just miss my pal.”

Slowly, Corky turned to look at Jerry.

“I miss being _your_ friend, too… But I can’t help it that I want my parents back together.”

“I understand that… but you do understand that there’s no chance of that, right? That your dad is having a baby with someone else and your mom and I are going to be getting married soon? You understand all that?”

The young man nodded.

“Well, I want you to know that I love your mother very much, Corky, and I plan on making her very happy… I would never hurt your mom. I would never betray her or say mean things to her… The only thing I want in the world is for her to be happy… And you do, too, right? You love your mom and want her to be happy?”

“Of course I do.”

It was Jerry’s turn to nod.

“That’s good… I think it would make her really happy if we went back downstairs and joined your family… She made this beautiful dinner for Christmas and wants to spend it with _all_ of us.”

Corky was silent an agonizing amount of time.

“I’ll come down in a minute,” he finally said.

“Ok, I’ll tell her.”

When Corky didn’t reply, Jerry spoke again.

“Cork, I want you to know that I’ll be here waiting, when or _if_ you feel like you want to be my friend again, ok?… I didn’t lie a couple of months ago when I told ya that I think of you as my own son… I do love ya and I’ll always be here.”

Then there was no response, Jerry sighed. Slowly, he rose from the couch and headed toward the door.

“Jerry?”

He turned around to see that Corky had also risen from the couch. Jerry looked at the young man, questioningly.

“I do want to be your friend, Jerry… and I _do_ love you.”

Tears instantly filled Jerry’s eyes. A wide smile crossed his face, even though Corky still looked sad.

“I love you, too, pal. More than you’ll ever know.”

-


End file.
